Southern Mississippi vs Florida State Odds: No. 4 Seminoles Already Widening Gap as ACC Favorite

If you aren’t sold on the Florida State Seminoles being an NCAA title contender, what are you waiting for? The Seminoles put on a show in their season opener, beating LSU rather handily in a neutral-site game in Orlando, Fla. After that marquee Week 1 win, the schedule now lightens up a bit for the No. 4 Seminoles, who will host Southern Mississippi in their home opener on Saturday (8:30 p.m. ET).

After opening as a 27.5-point favorite, Florida State has climbed to -31 (-110). The projected total has also jumped slightly, from 51.5 to 53 (-110). Do the Seminoles have what it takes to cover? Read on as we break down both teams in our Southern Mississippi vs Florida State odds preview.

FSU Vaults into Top 5

The Florida State Seminoles turned in one of the most impressive showings in Week 1, bullying No. 5 LSU 45-24 as a 2-point underdog. Senior Jordan Travis did most of the heavy lifting for the Seminoles, passing for 342 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for another score. In doing so, Travis saw his Heisman Trophy odds boost from +1400 to +750, second on the board behind USC quarterback Caleb Williams (+450), the reigning winner. Keep in mind Travis is prominent enough to swing the Southern Mississippi vs Florida State odds.

Michigan State transfer Keon Coleman recorded nine catches for 122 yards and three touchdowns in his first game as a Seminole, while Johnny Wilson had seven catches for 104 yards.

Trailing 17-14, the Seminoles erupted for 31 unanswered points to begin the second half. Jaheim Bell’s 4-yard run with 1:26 left made it 45-17 and cashed in the Over of 56.5. The Seminoles climbed four spots to No. 4 in the AP Top 25 after their resounding win, the program’s first Top 5 ranking since the beginning of the 2007 season.

The Seminoles’ ACC Championship odds also received a boost, climbing from +140 to +110. More importantly, Clemson, widely viewed as Florida State’s biggest competitor in the conference, saw its odds plummet from +160 to +525 following its 28-7 upset loss to Duke. The Tigers are now one of three teams behind the Seminoles with those same odds, joining NC State and North Carolina.

Entering NCAA football this weekend, Florida State owns the fifth-best national championship odds at +1200, behind Georgia (+225), Alabama (+550), Michigan (+700), and Ohio State (+850).

Gore Jr., Golden Eagles Run to Victory

The Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles did what many expected in their opener, beating FCS school Alcorn State 40-14. The Golden Eagles jumped to a 27-7 halftime lead and narrowly covered the 24.5-point spread, using Andrew Stein’s 41-yard field goal with 4:26 remaining to cash in.

Frank Gore Jr. — the son of former NFL All-Pro running back Frank Gore — rushed for 29 yards and scored two touchdowns, including one receiving. In last year’s LendingTree Bowl victory over Rice, Gore Jr. ran for an NCAA bowl-record 329 yards and three scores.

Will the Golden Eagles find themselves back in the college bowl projections? Despite Gore Jr.’s presence, they have fairly low expectations. They were projected for just 5.0 wins (-105 Over, -125 Under) and were picked to finish fourth in the West Division of the Sun Belt Conference. They’re coming off their first winning season since 2019, when they also went 7-6 and lost in the Armed Forces Bowl. They last won a bowl in 2016 (New Orleans Bowl).

Much of the pessimism stems from the Golden Eagles’ nonconference schedule, which is among the toughest in the country for a Group of Five program. After Florida State, the Golden Eagles return home to face No. 24 Tulane, the reigning American Athletic Conference champion. Then, they visit Mississippi State the second-to-last week of the season (Nov. 18). Add in Sun Belt play and that’s a steep hill to climb.

Handicapping the Game

This is a total mismatch. The Southern Mississippi vs Florida State odds say as much. The Seminoles are a legitimate national championship contender with a Heisman candidate at quarterback and a star-studded supporting cast to boot. Say what you will about Gore Jr., but the Golden Eagles don’t have much chance here.

Barring a letdown, the Seminoles should roll at home. This is a big college football line to cover, but Travis and Co. may just be talented enough to do so.

For college football betting odds, analysis, news and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.

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